Shelving and Emergency Egress Unit

ABSTRACT

A readily accessible combination device is disclosed that can be used as both a shelving unit, such as a bookcase, and then quickly and easily be transformed into an egress unit with a set of emergency escape stairs. The combination device may be repositionable or securely and removably fastened to a structure, such as a wall in proximity to a window or other elevated opening. The device of the present invention is comprised of a plurality of shelves/steps that are repositionably attached to a plurality of supports by swivel mechanisms that permit the quickly and easy transformation of the device from shelving unit to egress unit, and vice versa.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims priority from Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 62/462,259 filed on Feb. 22, 2017, which is incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a combination shelving and emergencyegress unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to ashelving unit that may be mounted to a wall or other structure andeasily converted into an egress/emergency escape device to enable a userto quickly and safely access a window or other elevated opening forpurposes of escaping peril, such as in the event of a fire, homeinvasion or other dangerous situation.

BACKGROUND

It is oftentimes desirable for occupants of a structure, such as abuilding or home, to have relatively easy access to multiple points ofegress or exits in the event of an emergency. Unfortunately, manyemergency exits, such as windows and the like, are located relativelyhigh off of the ground and are not easily accessible to the averageuser.

Over the years there have been attempts to provide an egress oremergency exit device to enable a user to access a window or otherelevated opening in the event of an emergency. Unfortunately, theseattempts have been largely unsuccessful. For example, some emergencyexit devices are in the form of a ladder that must be removed from aconcealed space or other storage area and then deployed, which is bothtime consuming and physically laborious. These ladder type devices mayalso be difficult for feeble or infirm users to maneuver and/or climb tomake their escape.

Other emergency exit devices are permanently fixed to a wall or otherstructure, which can be unsightly and dangerous, particularly to a youngchild who may view said device as a toy, game or other attractivenuisance. Further, these types of devices oftentimes consume a greatdeal of space and have no other usefulness. Yet other emergency egressdevices may take too much time to deploy in a time of crisis, and may beimproperly set up when done in a time of panic, which can also bedangerous.

Consequently, there exists in the art a long-felt need for anegress/emergency exit device that is relatively easy to deploy, that isstable and that permits a user to quickly and safely make his/her escapeout of a window or other elevated opening. There also exists in the arta long felt need for an egress/emergency device that serves multiplepurposes, such as a shelving or storage unit, and/or that has somefunctionality beyond merely serving as an emergency device. Finally,there is a long-felt need for an egress/emergency exit device thataccomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and that is relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and safe and easy to use.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof,is a combination shelving and egress device that is comprised of aplurality of supports, a plurality of swivel mechanisms, a top shelfattached to said plurality of supports, at least one secondary shelfattached to said plurality of supports, and a wall bracket. In apreferred embodiment of the present invention, said device may furthercomprise a foot attached to an end of each of said supports for addedstability and/or to protect the surface of the floor upon which saiddevice is positioned.

The unique design of the combination device of the present inventionenables it to serve multiple purposes. For example, the combinationdevice can be used as a storage or shelving unit, such as a book case orthe like, and then, in the case of an emergency, the device can easilybe converted into an egress unit in the form of a set of stairs thatallow for easy and safe escape through a window or other elevatedopening. The unique design also allows for the device to be easily andsecurely and centrally affixed to the wall of almost any structure inproximity to a window or other elevated opening through which an escapecan be made. Further, the combination device can also be easily removedfrom said wall to enable the device to be repositioned within the roomand/or to allow for the wall to which it is attached to be painted orcleaned.

The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features ofthe present invention in order that the detailed description of theinvention that follows may be better understood, and the presentcontributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. It is of coursenot possible to describe every conceivable combination of componentsand/or methodologies, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognizethat many further combinations or permutations are possible.Accordingly, the novel architecture described below is intended toembrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the combination shelving and emergency egress device inorder that the detailed description thereof that follows may be betterunderstood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are additional features of the invention thatwill be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter ofthe claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty, which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects are described herein in connection with thefollowing description and the annexed drawings. These aspects areindicative of the various ways in which the principles disclosed hereincan be practiced and all aspects and equivalents thereof are intended tobe within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other advantages andnovel features will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a top perspective view of one embodiment of thedevice of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the deviceof the present invention in its shelving unit configuration.

FIG. 1C illustrates a front perspective view of one embodiment of thedevice of the present invention in its shelving unit configuration.

FIG. 1D illustrates a side perspective view of one embodiment of thedevice of the present invention in its shelving unit configuration.

FIG. 2A illustrates a top perspective view of one embodiment of thedevice of the present invention in its egress unit configuration.

FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the deviceof the present invention in its egress unit configuration.

FIG. 2C illustrates a side perspective view of one embodiment of thedevice of the present invention in its egress unit configuration.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the device ofthe present invention in its shelving unit configuration positionedadjacent to a wall and beneath a window.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the device ofthe present invention in its egress configuration positioned beneath awindow and attached to a wall.

FIG. 5 illustrates a rear perspective view of one embodiment of thedevice of the present invention in its shelving unit configuration.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofthe device of the present invention in its shelving unit configurationpositioned beneath a window above a base board or similar heater.

The above referenced FIGS. are not necessarily to scale, but are offeredfor illustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, whereinlike reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovationcan be practiced without these specific details.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate,respectively, a top perspective view and a perspective view of oneembodiment of the combination device 100 of the present invention in itsshelving unit configuration. Device 100 is preferably comprised of a topshelf 110, at least one secondary shelf 120, a plurality of supports140, a wall bracket 160 and a plurality of swivel mechanisms 180.

Top shelf 110 further comprises an upper surface 112 and is preferablygenerally rectangular in shape and may be comprised of any durablematerial such as wood, metal, plastic, composite material or the like,provided that top shelf 110 is strong enough to support a user's weightwhen it functions as a step, as described more fully below. The depth oftop shelf 110 is preferably between 6 and 10 inches, while the width oftop shelf 110 is preferably between 20 and 28 inches. Of course, one ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that top shelf 110 can come ina variety of other shapes, sizes, materials and colors to suit userpreference.

In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-5, one of said plurality ofsupports 140 is positioned at each of the four corners of top shelf 110and attached thereto by one of said plurality of swivel mechanisms 180such that device 100 is capable of being transformed from a shelvingunit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6) to an egress unitconfiguration (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) and vice versa, as explainedmore fully below. When device 100 is in the shelving unit configuration,upper surface 112 of top shelf 110 is generally perpendicular to saidplurality of supports 140, and when device 100 is in the egress unitconfiguration, upper surface 112 of top shelf 110 is not generallyperpendicular to said plurality of supports 140.

Similar to top shelf 110, at least one secondary shelf 120 is alsopreferably comprised of an upper surface 122 and is generallyrectangular in shape and may be comprised of any durable material suchas wood, metal, plastic, composite material or the like, provided thatat least one secondary shelf 120 is strong enough to support a user'sweight when it functions as a step, as described more fully below. Thedepth of secondary shelves 120 is preferably between 6 and 10 inches,while the width of secondary shelves 120 is preferably between 20 and 28inches. Of course, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate thatsecondary shelves 120 can come in a variety of other shapes, sizes,materials and colors to suit user preference.

In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-5, one of said plurality ofsupports 140 is positioned at each of the four corners of at least onesecondary shelf 120 and attached thereto by one of said plurality ofswivel mechanisms 180 such that device 100 is capable of beingtransformed from a shelving unit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 1, 3,5 and 6) to an egress unit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) andvice versa, as explained more fully below. In both configurations, uppersurface 112 of top shelf 110 and upper surface 122 of at least onesecondary shelf 120 are generally parallel to one another.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, device 100 comprisesat least two secondary steps 120, along with top shelf 110, equallyspaced apart along supports 140, as shown in FIG. 1C, to provide forsafer passage when device 100 is in an egress configuration and top andsecondary shelves 110, 120 are functioning as stairs. However, it is notnecessary that top and secondary shelves 110, 120 be equally spacedapart in order for device 100 to function as intended.

Each of said plurality of supports 140 is preferably an elongated memberhaving a first end 142 and a second end 144. Supports 140 may becomprised of any durable material such as wood, metal, plastic or thelike, provided that supports are capable of supporting top shelf 110,secondary shelves 120 and a user (not shown) when device 100 isfunctioning in its egress configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.Supports 140 may be manufactured by any means known in the artincluding, without limitation, forming, extruding, milling, etc.

As stated above, supports 140 are attached to top shelf 110 andsecondary shelves 120 via swivel mechanisms 180 that enable shelves 110,120 to pivot or swivel relative to supports 140, and device 100 to betransformed from its shelving unit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 1,3, 5 and 6) to an egress unit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4)and vice versa. More specifically, top shelf 110 is affixed to each ofsupports 140 at first end 142 and second end 144 may be in contact witha ground surface 24 or further comprise a foot 190, as described morefully below. Secondary steps 120 may be positioned at roughlyequal-distant locations along supports 140, between first end 142 andsecond end 144, as best shown in FIG. 1D, but are not required to be.The overall number of supports 140 may vary to suit user preference, asmay the length, size and general configuration of supports 140. Whendevice 100 is in its shelving unit configuration, supports 140 areroughly perpendicular to the upper surface 112 of top shelf 110 and theupper surface 122 of secondary shelves 120; whereas, when device 100 isin its egress configuration, supports 140 are not perpendicular to theupper surface 112 of top shelf 110 or the upper surface 122 of secondaryshelves 120.

As best shown in FIGS. 1C and 5, device 100 further comprises a wallbracket 160 with a slot or opening 162 therein. More specifically, wallbracket 160 may be mounted or attached to top shelf 110, as best shownin FIG. 5 through the use of fasteners 34. Opening 162 may matinglyreceive a pin or other fastener (not shown) attached to a wall 22 forremovably attaching device 100 to wall 22, as best shown in FIG. 4, andto prevent sliding of second end 144 across floor 24 in a directionopposite of wall 22 when a user (not shown) is using device 100 in anegress configuration. In this manner, device 100 may be easily andquickly attached to wall 22 in the event of an emergency, and easily andquickly detached from wall 22 in the event a user desires to clean orpaint wall 22, or simply reposition device 100 elsewhere in the room touse the same in its shelving unit configuration. Importantly, wall 22should be of sturdy construction and the attachment point of wall 22 anddevice 100 should be supported by a structural member such as a wallstud (not shown).

Importantly, the size of wall bracket 160 and opening 162 should besufficient to enable device 100 to be repositioned between its shelvingunit configuration and its egress unit configuration. Additionally, wallbracket 160 should be made of a durable material, such as steel, heavyduty plastic, or a composite material, so that wall bracket 160 iscapable of withstanding the stresses and strains that will beencountered when device 100 is attached to wall 22 in an egressconfiguration and being used by a user (not shown) to make an escape.

Each of said plurality of swivel mechanisms 180 can be a form offastener such as a shoulder screw or a custom made pin that are used topivotably attach top shelf 110 and at least one secondary shelf 120 toeach of said plurality of supports 140, as described in greater detailsupra. More specifically, swivel mechanisms 180 securely attach theshelves 110, 120 to supports 120, but also permit the shelves 110, 120to pivot with respect to said supports 120 without collapsing underweight. In this manner, device 100 is capable of being transformed froma shelving unit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6) to anegress unit configuration (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) and vice versa.The openings in top shelf 110 and at least one secondary shelf 120 mustbe sized and shaped to receive swivel mechanisms 180 so that the samesecurely attach shelves 110, 120 to supports 140, but also permit themto swing freely when device 100 is being moved between its shelving unitconfiguration and its egress unit configuration. Swivel mechanisms 180must also be constructed or a durable material such as metal, plastic orthe like so that the same are capable of supporting top shelf 110,secondary shelves 120 and a user (not shown) when device 100 isfunctioning in its egress configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, device 100 mayfurther comprise a foot 190 attached to each of said supports 140 atsecond end 144 for added stability and to protect the surface of floor24 from scratches or unnecessary wear and tear as device 100 is beingreposition or deployed from one configuration to the other. Said foot190 may have a generally flat rubber or other non-slip surface forcontacting floor 24, or could be in the form of lockable rollers (notshown) for easily repositioning device 100 in a room when device 100 isnot attached to wall 22. When in its shelving unit configuration, device100 may sit firmly on floor 24 and top shelf 110 and secondary shelves120 may be used to support or store items such as books, decorations,pictures and the like, similar to that of a traditional book case orshelving unit. When in its shelving unit configuration, device 100 ispreferably between 26 and 34 inches in height, though it is contemplatedthat a variety of other sizes and shapes can also be used as long asstrength, rigidity and ergonomics are properly maintained.

FIG. 2A illustrates a top perspective view of one embodiment of device100 of the present invention in its egress unit configuration in whicheach of top shelf 110 and secondary shelves 120 transform into astair-like configuration to enable a user to use device 100 as a ladderto quickly and safely exit a room or building in an emergency situation.FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2A and furtherillustrates the general stair like configuration of device 100, as doesFIG. 2C. The transformation of the device from its shelving unitconfiguration to its egress unit configuration is preferablyaccomplished by pulling the lowest secondary shelf 120 and/or a secondend of 144 of support 140 in a direction away from wall 22 to whichdevice 100 is attached via wall bracket 160. Further, the presence ofswivel mechanisms 180 permit supports 140 to swivel about top andsecondary shelves 110, 120 thereby transforming said shelves 110, 120into stairs upon which an escape can be made by the user (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of device 100 ofthe present invention in its shelving unit configuration and positionedon floor 24 generally adjacent to wall 22 and positioned beneath awindow 26. Ideally, device 100 would be positioned directly beneathwindow 26 to provide for the quickest possible escape, though the sameis not required. FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the sameembodiment of device 100 in its egress configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates a rear perspective view of the device 100 of FIG. 1C,also in its shelving unit configuration and more clearly shows how wallbracket 160 may be attached to top shelf 110. More specifically, topshelf 110 may be further comprised of a plurality of openings or slots114 to which wall bracket 160 may be attached with fasteners 34. Byhaving a plurality of slots 114 along top shelf 110, a user has agreater degree of flexibility as to where to attach wall bracket 160 totop shelf 110. One or ordinary skill in the art will also appreciatethat device 100 may be attached to wall 22 while in its shelving unitconfiguration to, for example, to prevent device 100 from tipping over.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofthe device 100 of the present invention in its shelving unitconfiguration attached to wall 22 and positioned beneath a window 26 andadjacent to and above a baseboard heater 38. In this particularembodiment, the two supports 140 nearest wall 22 are not positioned atthe corners of top shelf 110 or secondary shelves 120, but rather towardthe midpoint of said shelves to provide clearance for baseboard heater38, while still allowing each of top shelf 110 and secondary shelves 120to contact wall 22.

Consequently, device 100 is a combination shelving and emergency egressunit that is relatively easy to reposition about a room and transitionbetween a shelving unit configuration and an egress unit configurationto enable a user to quickly and safely make his/her escape out of abuilding or other structure by, for example, a window or other elevatedopening. Because combination device 100 serves multiple purposes, and isof novel and non-obvious construction, it is unlike any other emergencyegress devices. Finally, combination device 100 accomplishes all of theforgoing objectives, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture andsafe and easy to use.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus,while the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof isshown in the drawings and has been described above in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary,the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to beconstrued as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joinedtogether, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of rangesof values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value isincorporated into the specification as if it were individually recitedherein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitableorder unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to betterilluminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitationon the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language inthe specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimedelement as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variationsof those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventorexpects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, andthe inventor intends for the invention to be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes allmodifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in theclaims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, anycombination of the above-described elements in all possible variationsthereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicatedherein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

What is claimed is:
 1. A combination shelving and egress devicecomprising: a top shelf; at least one secondary shelf; a plurality ofsupports; and a plurality of swivel mechanisms.
 2. The combinationshelving and egress device of claim 1, wherein said top shelf isattached to each of said plurality of supports by at least one of saidplurality of swivel mechanisms.
 3. The combination shelving and egressdevice of claim 1, wherein said at least one secondary shelf is attachedto each of said plurality of supports by at least one of said pluralityof swivel mechanisms.
 4. The combination shelving and egress device ofclaim 1 further comprising a second secondary shelf and a wall bracketwith a slot formed therein.
 5. The combination shelving and egressdevice of claim 4 wherein said second secondary shelf is attached toeach of said plurality of supports by at least one of said plurality ofswivel mechanisms.
 6. The combination shelving and egress device ofclaim 4 wherein each of said top shelf, at least one secondary shelf andsaid second secondary shelf are positioned along said plurality ofsupports at approximately equal distances.
 7. The combination shelvingand egress device of claim 1, wherein said combination shelving andegress device is repositionable between a shelving unit configurationand an egress unit configuration.
 8. The combination shelving and egressdevice of claim 7, wherein when said combination shelving and egressdevice is in the shelving unit configuration, an upper surface of thetop shelf is generally perpendicular to said plurality of supports. 9.The combination shelving and egress device of claim 7, wherein when saidcombination shelving and egress device is in the egress unitconfiguration, an upper surface of the top shelf is not generallyperpendicular to said plurality of supports.
 10. The combinationshelving and egress device of claim 8, wherein the upper surface of thetop shelf is generally parallel to an upper surface of said at least onesecondary shelf
 11. A combination shelving and egress device forattachment to a wall comprising: a top shelf; a first secondary shelf; asecond secondary shelf; a plurality of supports; a plurality of swivelmechanisms; and a wall bracket.
 12. The combination shelving and egressdevice of claim 11 further comprising a foot attached to an end of eachof said plurality of supports.
 13. The combination shelving and egressdevice of claim 11, wherein said wall bracket further comprises a slot.14. The combination shelving and egress device of claim 11, wherein eachof said top shelf, said first secondary shelf and said secondary shelfis attached to each of said plurality of supports by at least one ofsaid plurality of swivel mechanisms
 15. The combination shelving andegress device of claim 11, wherein said combination shelving and egressdevice is repositionable between a shelving unit configuration and anegress unit configuration.
 16. The combination shelving and egressdevice of claim 15, wherein when said combination shelving and egressdevice is in the shelving unit configuration, an upper surface of thetop shelf is generally perpendicular to said plurality of supports. 17.The combination shelving and egress device of claim 15, wherein whensaid combination shelving and egress device is in the egress unitconfiguration, an upper surface of the top shelf is not generallyperpendicular to said plurality of supports.
 18. The combinationshelving and egress device of claim 16, wherein the upper surface of thetop shelf is generally parallel to an upper surface of said firstsecondary shelf.
 19. A combination shelving and egress device forattachment to a wall comprising: a top shelf; a first secondary shelf; asecond secondary shelf; a plurality of supports pivotally attached toeach of the top shelf, the first secondary shelf and the secondsecondary shelf by a swivel mechanism; and a wall bracket.
 20. Thecombination shelving and egress device of claim 19, wherein saidcombination shelving and egress device is repositionable between ashelving unit configuration and an egress unit configuration.